Honey Bacon BBQ Chicken Lollipops

4.28 from 11 votes

Better than any child’s candy, today we’re bringing you a Honey Bacon BBQ Chicken Lollipops recipe! Sweet and smoky for the perfect bite!

Prep Time45

Cook Time2

Total Time2 45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: people

Author: Derek Wolf

Ingredients

Chicken:

10-12 Chicken Drumsticks
3 tbsp of Honey Habanero Seasoning or your favorite BBQ Seasoning
6-8 Slices of Bacon cut in half

BBQ Glaze:

1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ Sauce
1.5 tbsp of Honey
1 tbsp of Bourbon
1 tsp of Habanero Sauce or any Hot Sauce

Instructions

Prep the drumsticks

Start by making a cut about ⅓ of the way done the drumstick towards the knuckle side.
Slice all around the drumstick and pull off the excess meat/skin until the bone is the only thing showing.
Trim off any excess tendons, then press the meat down to form your “lollipop.” Repeat this step for the rest of the drumsticks.
Add the seasoning into a bowl and thoroughly coat the meat.
Once coated, wrap a single slice of bacon around and secure using toothpicks. Set aside until ready to cook.

Smoke the chicken lollipops

Preheat your smoker for 275F indirect. Add some additional wood chunks or chips for added flavor.
Add your chicken to the smoker (preferably on a smoker rack) and cook for about 2-2.5 hours until they reach 175F.
When the chicken is close to being done, add a sauce pan with all the ingredients for the BBQ Glaze.
Warm up for 1-2 minutes. Once warm, pull the saucepan off, stir the mixture and carefully dip each lollipop into the sauce until it is evenly coated.
Let the excess sauce drain off and place the chicken back on the smoker rack. Repeat for each lollipop, then let cook for 5 more minutes.

Serve

When chicken is done, pull off and rest for 2-3 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Better Lollipop Prep, Better Results

We all love bacon wrapped anything, but properly wrapping our chicken lollipops also calls for aluminum foil. Before placing the honey bacon BBQ chicken lollipops on the smoker, we need to wrap the bone end of the drumsticks in a small piece of foil. This move will prevent charring and discoloration of the bones throughout the cooking process.

I also used a rack made for chicken wings or chicken legs for best results in grilling the lollipops. It’s a stand you can place in the smoker and holds the thinner side of the chicken drumettes while they cook. I found mine on Amazon, but you can find a variety of different types at any grilling store. They’re pretty cheap and are one of the best ways to help the chicken keep a round lollipop shape while cooking. Definitely not something you have to have to cook this recipe, but something I did use.

Nutrition